^!gj^'] Kershaw, A Naturalist in Northern Queensland. 167 



common, and were often disturbed while passing through the 

 open forest. A nimiber of smaller lizards, including the Blue- 

 tongue, Cyclodiis, were also secured, while the only Frilled Lizard 

 seen was obtained from a party of blacks who happened to pass 

 our camp. The blacks are very frightened of snakes, and 

 could not be induced to touch even a disabled specimen, but 

 they will not hesitate to spear them. Under logs and debris 

 in the scrub a number of large land snails. Helix, were 

 fovmd, and several species of beetles were obtained by splitting 

 open decaying logs, but these were far from being plentiful. 



On the I2th November we packed up our swags and returned 

 to the main camp. On our way we took several more butter- 

 flies, and, entering a patch of scrub, discovered another colony 

 of the large Fruit Bats, and in the open forest took three eggs 

 of the Lesser Brown Kingfisher from a white ants' nest. The 

 weather was excessively hot, and the whole country parched, 

 making our seven or eight miles' tramp back to our main 

 camp, with our heavy sv/ags, one of the most trying we ex- 

 perienced during our visit. We visited the same locality about 

 a week later, when we made many interesting additions to our 

 collections. Further nests of the large Red-sided Parrot, 

 Eclectiis, and the Rifle-bird were found. A Long-tailed Nightjar 

 was flushed off its two eggs deposited on the bare ground near 

 the edge of the scrub, and the nest of the Lovely Wren, Malurus 

 amahilis, discovered in the scrub. The King and the Red- 

 backed Quail, Tiirnix melanota, were frequently flushed from 

 the grass flats, and other birds noted inchicle the Spotted 

 Cat-bird, Aihircedus macitlosiis, White-faced Robin, Pacilodryas 

 albifascies, Shining Flycatcher, Piezorhynchus iiitidiis, Grass- 

 Warbler, Cisticola exilis, and many others. Another new 

 ]:)utterfly, Hypocista aroa angustata, brown, with a broad white 

 band across both wings, was taken, also the beautiful white 

 Mynes geoffroyi and Cethosia cydippe, all strictly tropical 

 species. 



Each day long excursions were taken up or down the river 

 to different parts of the scrubs, or through the open country, 

 and each trip brought new experiences and adventures. At 

 times, when passing quietly through the timber, we would be 

 suddenly startled by a peculiar, plaintive, croaking cry close 

 beside us. This, on investigation, was found to be made by 

 a small Gecko lizard, about 7 or 8 inches long, known as the 

 " Crying Lizard," which occupies narrow hollows in the trunks 

 or branches of the trees, indicated by a small entrance hole. 

 A somewhat similar cry is made by a large green frog, Hyla 

 coernlea, which is also found in similar cavities in the tree- 

 trunks. Occasionally a small iguana, Varanns, was found 

 occupying the same cavity. We had little time for fishing in 



